Danish officer shot outside police station near Copenhagen

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — A Danish police officer was hit by shots Tuesday near a police station in suburban Copenhagen, prompting security outside police stations to be stepped up across the country, authorities said. The officer's condition was unknown.

Police in Albertslund, west of Copenhagen, sent out two brief tweets Tuesday confirming the 8.20 a.m. attack. Police later tweeted that an officer had been hit and a "possible" shooter had been arrested.

"It's a dark day for all of us when those who are supposed to protect us are attacked," Justice Minister Soeren Pape Poulsen said. "It is terrible that it can happen in Denmark."

Local media showed officers in bulletproof vests with handguns and automatic weapons outside the Albertslund and Copenhagen police stations.

Denmark's National Police said security at all police stations had been increased "until the situation is clarified."

The attack was the second such shooting in recent months. In September, a man shot two police officers — seriously wounding one — and a bystander in a Copenhagen neighborhood known for its thriving hashish trade. The shooter, hit by a police bullet, eventually died.